This invention relates to a fitting having a split end, each segment of which forms a cantilever serving as jaws for clamping a workpiece within the body of the fitting. The clamping force is provided by the tightening of a nut of the invention with a camming surface being provided by another position of the fitting.
There are a variety of fittings available on the market today. One class of fittings, hydraulic or pneumatic fittings, involve deformation or flaring of the tube or workpiece on which they are applied; another class of fittings, Swage-Lock, require a wedging action by taper rings sealing the workpiece but again deforming the workpiece. A nut is generally used to provide the required compressional force.
Split head clamping fasteners have been known for some time, particularly in the field of electrical connectors. Patents illustrating such fasteners include U.S. Pat. Nos. 368,149; 1,802,381; 2,406,346; and 2,440,828 for holding electrical wires.
Although these prior art type of fittings and fasteners are useful, they have several drawbacks including the use of several mating parts, deformation of the workpiece, and multiple turns at high strength of the forcing nuts.
The present invention includes several advantages over the fittings and fasteners of the prior art. These advantages include the clamping action, which is achieved by a cantilever bending action rather than a high force requiring wedging action; the containment of the camming surface and nut as integral parts of the fitting; the non-movement of the workpiece or workpieces within the fitting as the clamping action takes place; the unitary construction of the fitting resulting in the lack of a requirement for several mating parts; the small amount of rotation, only a fraction of a turn of fitting nut is required for full clamping action; and the reusability of the fitting.